High Intensity Interval Training

I told you in a previous post that I was doing my final intervals incorrectly.  They are supposed to be 60/60 work to rest, not 60/30 work to rest.  So, I don't think I was getting enough recovery time (especially with the pyramids at the end of the strength training sessions).  So, I have changed back to 60/60.  However, I try to keep my cardiovascular sessions short and intense.  Unfortunately, the high intensity interval training I am doing means I should be working up to 12 rounds of 60/60, meaning at least 25 minutes, meaning I may have to change my finishers or strength workout as I get past 15 minutes (which means in another week).  Luckily, that is when I will be changing programs again.  Another modification I will need to make next week is changing the alternating bench press to something that is more rehabilitative in nature.  My left shoulder cannot lift much more than 20 lbs and with a limited range of motion.  I realize this is a long-term issue and will need to continue to modify these moves--so, more rotator cuff exercises or specific exercises for pre-operative surgery.  Another item I noticed while doing burpees (or squat thrusts), my arms are really short and inhibit the movement.  So, I will either at a step (to allow for more room) or I will do a frog squat to shorten the leg of my bent knees.  It changes the emphasis but allows me to do the motion without injury to my hands.  One good thing is that fitness professionals are starting to realize certain movements do need to be modified so a larger group of folks can use them--turkish get up is a great example--and when I return to a kettlebell workout, you will see a number of variations on this particular movement.

Pre-Operative Knee Exercises

My friend and I both have had knee surgeries (back in the 70s) and she was contemplating getting a knee replacement--but before doing so she decided to do the pre-operative exercises and see if it helped.  If so, she could delay the knee replacement or possibly go for a partial.  I told her I would work with her in accomplishing this task.  We need to build up to 100 repetitions of the following exercises:

• Ankle Pumps
• Quad Sets-Knee Tighteners
• Gluteal Sets-Buttocks Tighteners
• Isometric Adduction/Abduction

This may seem simple but done correctly (hold 5 seconds for each repetition) it is no easy task.  We are starting with 1 set of 10 and adding 10 more every couple of weeks--I will let you know when we reach 100!

What is going on?

The first quarter of 2010 has been very stressful physically.  I had a scare with my hypothyroidism, my blood pressure, as well as digestive issues.  Most of those have been addressed and now I seem to have been bitten by spiders (large welts on my stomach) which I think came from using a heating pad that I had been using.  The heating pad was necessary because I pulled a stomach muscle – the girdle part – and have had an ache in my side (similar to a stitch you get when you run) for about a week.  Luckily, I had a recovery week and with heat and pain reliever tylenol I have seen some reduction in symptoms.  I just don’t feel 100%.  As a result, I will start off Stage 3 more tentatively than the other stages and monitor my condition more closely taking time to increase resistance and/or increase HIIT speeds.

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